New Ways to Jazz Up Summer Fruits

FEATURED PRODUCE: New Ways to Jazz Up Summer Fruits

From peaches to melon to berries, turn naturally sweet summer fruits into memorable treats with these new and fun ways to serve them:

Make “dressing” for your fruit salad. Instead of leaving your cut fruit plain in the bowl, experiment with dressings that bring all the flavors together. Blend Greek yogurt, honey and fresh mint for a creamy addition. Or balance sweet and tangy tastes by mixing lemon or lime juice with honey and fresh herbs, such as tarragon or basil.

Add it to your sandwich. Slip a little bit of summer into your next sandwich. Layer prosciutto, melon and arugula on your choice of bread. Or upgrade the usual grilled cheese. Try blackberries and fontina cheese on multigrain bread, or sliced peaches and melted Brie on a baguette. Add a slice of turkey or grilled chicken breast for protein.

Give fruit a boost by adding vegetables or grains. For a nutty crunch, stir cooked quinoa into cut fruit, or top a summer fruit crisp with oats. And kick up your anti-oxidant intake by combining vegetables with fruit. Serve chopped watermelon with radishes and fresh herbs, with salty feta on top. Or pair strawberries and cucumbers with a simple dressing of balsamic vinegar and honey.

Chop fruit into salsa. Fresh fruit salsa is great as a topping for fish or chicken, a dip for chips or straight up in a bowl with a spoon. Spice up a mixture of chopped honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon with minced Serrano peppers, minced red onion and fresh lime juice. Or instead of melon, use raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.

Turn summer fruit into a refreshing soup. Meld the flavors of summer fruits together in a cool soup to serve at any meal. In a food processor, blend chopped strawberries, peaches and pineapple. Add orange juice, lime zest and minced ginger and process again. Mix in chopped fruit or serve smooth with mint sprigs for garnish.